Shipping container with provision for protecting corners of contents



Patented Oct. 1?, 1950 OFFICE SHIPPING CONTAINER WITH PROVISION FOR PROTECTING CORNERS OF CON- TENTS Samuel Stimmel, Bronx, N. Y.

' Application June 19, 1948, Serial N 0. 33,978

This invention relates to shipping containers or folders such as are made of corrugated paperboard, and the invention relates more particularly to a construction of a shipping folder with special provisions for protecting the corners of the contents against damage during shipment.

When shipping electro-plates or lithographed displays, the greatest danger of damage during shipment is that one or more corners of the plate or display may be bent or crushed as a result of someone dropping the shipping container on its corner when handling during transit. Various constructions for shipping containers have been devised, and those which have effectively protected their contents have often been unnecessarily expensive because of the large number of flaps and panels used, or have been expensive to use because of the unreasonable time required for packing, closing and sealing them. The container of this invention requires less material to manufacture andthis results in a saving both in manufacturing and in the postage used for shipping.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved shipping container using a minimum of corrugated paperboard for effectively protecting a shipping item, such as, a flat plate or display, from damage in shipment.

One feature of the invention relates to a onepiece container having a panel with its end;

folded over to prevent endwise displacement of the contents of the container, and with side flaps that enclose the contents and that are hinged to the panel, preferably at regions inward from the folded ends so that the folded ends extend beyond the corners of the actual space that houses the plate or other item enclosed within the container.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed 'out as the description proceeds.

In the drawing, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a shipping container embodying this invention with the flaps shown in open positions.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly broken away, taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

- Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 but with the flaps raised and moved part way toward closed position.

Fig. 4 is a-grcatly enlarged, fragmentary view taken along the line 4-4 but with the left hand flap of the container in closed position,

5 Claims. (01. zest-s7) Fig. 5 is a reduced scale, plan view of an outside box that can be used to enclose the container shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

Fig. 6- is a top plan view showing the box of Fig. 5 when closed.

' Fig. 1 shows a one-piece folder or shipping container, preferably made of corrugated paperboard, and having a main panel In with end portions I l and I2 formed by folding over the ends of the material in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

The term "fold or folded," as used in this specification and in the claims, denote a construction in which the material is turned back in a bend of 180 degrees and its marginal edge is tucked into the space within the bend as shown 'in Fig. 2. The top layer of the fold need not contact with the marginal edge beneath it.

The folded end portions H and I2 are permanently held'in their folded condition by fastening means, preferably staples l4. With this construction, the folded end portions II and I2 provide cushions or abutments at opposite ends of the main panel I 0 for stopping endwise movement of a shipping item that is placed on the panel ID. The height of these abutments is equal to at least twice the thickness of the corrugated paperboard of which the folder ismade, or may be of greater height if the top layer of the fold is spaced from the tucked in marginal edge. When such spacing is considerable, only the middle layer edge portion and the main panel are clamped together by the Staples [4.

The folder has side flaps I6 and i1 hinged to the opposite sides of the panel In along parallel creases I 9 and 20. In the preferred construction, the spacing of each of the creases l9 from the adjacent crease 20 is less than the height of the folded end portions II and 12 so that when the flaps i6 and I1 are swung inward to positions parallel with the top surface of the panel In, the space between the top surface of the panel I!) and the overlying surfaces of the flaps I6 and I1 is'completely closed at both ends by the folded end portions I! and [2. In the preferred construction; the creases l9 and 20 are close enough togeter to cause the top surface of the flaps l8 and I! to be no higher than the top'surfaces of the end portions II and I2 when the flaps l6 and i! are swung inward over the panel 20. Fig. 4

shows the panel I 6 in such a position and at a level somewhat below the top surface of the end portion I I. A shipping item 2| is shown in dotted lines. If a higher shipping item is enclosed in the folder, the flap l6 can be bent over the shipping item along a line above the crease i9 so as to increase the size of the space within the folder without affecting the folded end portion II.

The corrugations of the paperboard of which the folder is made preferably extend lengthwise of the panel I so that the creases I9 and 20 are along the corrugations. This means that the creases of the folded end portions I I and I2 must extend transversely of the corrugations of the paperboard, but the creases of the end portions II and I2 are only bent once and are held in their bent conditions by the staples I4. I The creases I9 and 20, on the other hand, are flexed many times when the folder ispacked and unpacked during repeated use, and it is important that these creases extend along the corrugations so that the hinges provided by the creases can be used repeatedly without damaging the paperboard. I

The flaps I6 and H are preferably wide enough so that each of them covers substantially onehalf of the panel I0 when the flaps are swung inward over the panel. By having these flaps substantially meet over the center of the panel III, the folder shown in Fig. 1 is suitable as a shipping container because it completely encloses an electroplate, lithographed display, or other shipping item that is placed on the panel I0 before the flaps I6 and I! are swung inward to close the folder or container. A sealing strip can be placed over the-seam between the confronting edges of the flaps I6 and I I when the flaps are in closed position.

It is a feature of the preferred construction that the creases 20 are spaced inward from the sides of the folded end portions II and I2. In the construction illustrated, the creases I9 are also spaced inward from the sides of the folded endportions II and I2, but this is not essential. It is merely necessary that the folded end portions extend beyond the hinged connections between the panel I0 and the flaps I6 and II when the flaps are swung inward to close the folder.

This construction provides a very effective protection for the corners of the space in which the shipping item is enclosed. The folded end portions II and I2 extend beyond the corners of the enclosed space both lengthwise and sidewise, and provide a triple thickness of corrugated paperboard which resists crushing or deformation of the folder'if it drops on one corner. Such a dropping on the corner of the container is the type of blow most likely to cause injury to a shipping item having square corners, and against such injury the container of this invention provides adequate protection. The staples I4 located reasonably close to the sides of the end portions II and I2 provide further strength by tying layers of the corrugated paperboard together.

The shipping folders of this invention can be used for shipping a stack of plates or sheets, and the height of the space enclosed by the folder can be increased by spacing the creases I9 and 20 further apart, and by increasing the height 'of the folded end portions II and I2. Such an increase in height can be obtained by using thicker material for the container, by doubling the margins of the end portions I I and I2fback on themselves one or more times, or by spacing the top of the fold further from the tucked in marginal edge portion that is stapled to the main panel III.

For containers that are to be used for stacks of substantial height, it is sometimes desirable to use thicker corrugated paperboard because an increase in the weight of the contents ordinarily requires a thicker corrugated board for adequate protection over the broad expanse of the top and bottom surfaces of the folder. It will be understood, of course, that while this container is primarily intended for protecting articles having corners, it can be used also for shipping items of other shapes such as disk records used for phonographs.

Fig. 5 shows an outside box that is combined with the folder of Figs. 1 to 4 when articles are to be shipped under conditions that make additional layers of corrugated paperboard desirable to provide adequate insurance against breakage. This box, indicated generally by the reference character 25, comprises a main body panel 26 with flaps 21 and 23 hinged to its opposite ends by creases 29 and 30. The main body panel 26 also has side flaps 32 and 33 hinged to its opposite sides by creases 35 and 36.

The length of the body panel 25 is substantially equal to or slightly longer than the length of the folder panel I0 including its end portions II and I2. The width of the body panel 26 is substantially equal to, or slightly greater than, the width of the end portions II and I2 of the folder. The distance between the creases 29 and 30 is at least as great as the height of the end portions II and I2; and the creases 35 and 36 are somewhat further apart than the creases 29 and 30 so that when, the flaps 21 and 28 are swung in over the end portions I I and I2 of the folder, the flaps 3| and 32 can-be swung into closed positions overlying the closed flaps 28 and 29, and substantially parallel to the body panel 26.

Fig. 6 shows the box 25 in its closed condition. Before shipment, the box 25 ordinarily has a sealing strip glued over the seam between the confronting edges of the flaps 32 and 33. This sealing strip is passed around the ends of thebox and along the outside surface of the body panel of the box so that the sealin strip not only closes the seam between the flaps 32 and 33, but also holds these flaps down against the end flaps 21 and 28 so that the box cannot open during shipment.

When the folder is to be enclosed in the box 25, the folder need not have such wide flaps I6 and I! because any gap between the confronting edges of these flaps I6 and II, when closed, is covered by the box 25. When the folder is made with narrow flaps I6 and I1, they are held closed by running a sealing strip around the girth of the folder. I

The preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described, but changes and modifications can be made, and some features can be used alone or in different combinations without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A one-piece shipping container comprising a corrugated paperboard panel with end portions folded upward and inward, means holding said end portions in their folded condition so as to form an abutment at both ends of'the top surface of the panel for preventing endwise dis placement of an article resting on the panel, flaps connected with opposite sides of the panel, each of said flaps being hinged to the panel along tend beyond the corners of the space within which the article is confined.

2. A corrugated paperboard folder comprising a panel in which the corrugations extend lengthwise of the panel, end portions on opposite ends of the panel folded over against the top surface of the panel along creases extending transversely of the corrugations of the paperboard, flaps connected to the opposite sides of the panel between the folded end portions of the panel along creases that are parallel to the corrugations of the paperboard and that are spaced inward from the sides of the folded over end portions of the panel.

3. The combination of a one-piece folding box having a body panel and flaps hinged to the opposite ends and opposite sides of said body panel along creases on which two of the flaps fold inward parallel to the body panel and at a predetermined distance above the surface of the body panel, and along which the other two flaps fold inward over the first two flaps to close the box, and a folder having a panel with folded over end portions, the combined length of said panel and its folded end portions being substantially equal to that of the body panel of the box, and the height of the folded end portions of the panel being substantially equal to said predetermined distance between the body panel and the overlapping parallel fiap of the box, and the width of the folded over end portions of the end panel being substantially equal to the width of the body panel of the box, and flaps connected to opposite sides of the panel along lines spaced inward from the sides of the folded end portions of the panel and extending inward overthe top surface of the panel to enclose a shipping item located on the panel.

4. A one-piece shipping container comprising a corrugated paperboard panel with end portions that hinge upward and inward to form abutments at both ends of the top surface of the panel for preventing endwise displacement of an article resting on the panel, flaps connected with opposite sides of the panel, said flaps being hinged to the panel along creases on which the flaps swing inward over the panel to hold an article against the panel and to prevent transverse displacement of the article, said creases being spaced inwardly from the sides of the abutments formed by said end portions of the panel so that the end portions project transversely of the creases and laterally beyond the same to provide corner abutments.

5. A corrugated paperboard folder comprising a panel, end portions on opposite ends of the panel creased to fold over the top surface of the panel along creases extending transversely of the panel to form abutments for preventing endwise movement of an article in the folder, flaps connected to the opposite sides of the panel between the abutments formed by' said end portions of the panel along creases that are spaced inward from the sides of the folded over end portions of the panel.

SAMUEL STIMMEL REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

